Aurier accuses Blanc of favoring South Americans over Africans

Former French international Laurent Blanc came back to Ligue 1 last season after six years. The iconic defender turned into a coach who left Paris Saint Germain in 2016 and couldn’t find a job in France for four years, and had to accept an offer from Qatar’s Al-Rayyan, where he was sacked due to poor results in 2022. He finally got his chance with French giants Lyon, when they sacked Peter Bosz, but his half-season ended with mixed results. And now, just as he starts his vacation, with an upcoming transfer window in the back of his mind, Blanc has to read accusations that he didn’t treat African players well during his time with PSG.

His former player Serge Aurier, currently with Nottingham Forrest, made such accusations while questioned by LeChairman on Youtube. The Ivory Coast international accused Blanc of favouring South American players over Africans.

"There are situations that you do not control and that you cannot accept. When I go to play in Africa, I take my plane, like everyone else. Arrive there, I make my trip, I plays in impossible terrain. I'm coming back. Those who have been to South America, we arrive at the same time, the same day. And I am led to not rest and they rest. And when I ask the question, I was told: 'It's like that.' No it's not like that. Why is it like that? I flew six hours, the others eight or nine and we can't have the same rest? Why? Because me it's six hours and the two of them more? No, it's not like that. There have been a lot of injustices like that" said Aurier.

But on the other side, there is already an unfortunate history between the player and the coach. While at PSG, Blanc bought Aurier, and he was a regular player in Paris before a video surfaced in which the player called his coach a ‘faggot’ who ‘s*cks Ibra (Zlatan Ibrahimovic) & "takes everything" while he labelled Angel Di Maria a ‘clown’. Aurier was suspended and later apologized to the coach and his teammates, but his future in Paris was over and he was sold to Tottenham, where he played four seasons. After a year in Spain (Villarreal), he came back to the Premier League in 2022 in the shirt of Nottingham Forest. With no other former player saying anything similar about Blanc, and with an already-mentioned history between the pair, this testimony will need some serious testing.